José Mota (footballer, born 1964)

José Albano Ferreira da Mota (born 25 February 1964) is a Portuguese retired footballer who played mainly as a right-back, currently manager of S.C. Farense.

José Mota
Mota in 2023
Personal information
Full nameJosé Albano Ferreira da Mota
Date of birth (1964-02-25) 25 February 1964 (age 60)
Place of birthParedes, Portugal
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)Defender
Team information
Current team
Farense (manager)
Youth career
1978–1980Aliados Lordelo
1980–1982Porto
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1982–1987Aliados Lordelo
1987–1996Paços Ferreira196(3)
Managerial career
1996–2000Paços Ferreira (assistant)
1997Paços Ferreira (caretaker)
2000–2003Paços Ferreira
2003Santa Clara
2003–2008Paços Ferreira
2008–2010Leixões
2010–2012Belenenses
2012–2013Vitória Setúbal
2014–2015Gil Vicente
2016Feirense
2017Aves
2017Sfaxien
2018–2019Aves
2019Chaves
2021–2022Leixões
2022Paços Ferreira
2023–Farense
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He spent most of his playing career with Paços de Ferreira, where he also began his coaching career and won two Segunda Liga titles. In two decades as a manager he led seven teams in Primeira Liga, and won the Taça de Portugal for Aves in 2018.

Football career

Playing career and first Paços stint

Mota was born in Paredes, Porto District. After humble beginnings with Aliados Lordelo F.C. in the outskirts of his birthplace, he went on to spend nearly a decade at F.C. Paços de Ferreira, often leading the club as its captain.[1] After retiring, he immediately joined their coaching staff, being promoted to head manager in 2000. In 2003, he had a short stint with C.D. Santa Clara in the Azores, but returned to Paços shortly after.[2]

In the 2006–07 season, Mota led Paços de Ferreira to the UEFA Cup for the first time after a sixth-place finish in the league.[2] The northerners would subsequently lose in the first round of the European competition against AZ Alkmaar, 1–0 on aggregate.[3][4]

Primeira Liga regular

In July 2008, Mota left Paços and joined Leixões S.C. also in the Primeira Liga. On 9 February 2010, with the Matosinhos team ranking second-bottom, he was sacked.[5]

Mota returned to active in November 2010, being appointed at C.F. Os Belenenses who was struggling in the Segunda Liga and eventually narrowly avoided relegation.[6] Between February 2012 and October of the following year, he coached Vitória F.C. in the top division.[7]

On 2 September 2014, Mota was hired by Gil Vicente F.C. as a replacement to João de Deus, fired after three losses in as many top-flight games.[8] On 25 March 2016, after a period of inactivity, he signed with second tier club C.D. Feirense,[9] leading it to promotion after four years and being relieved of his duties in December of the same year.[10]

Mota was appointed at C.D. Aves on 18 February 2017,[11] achievement another promotion to the Portuguese top division[12] but leaving subsequently by mutual consent.[13] The 53-year-old moved abroad for the first time in late June, signing a two-year contract with CS Sfaxien from the Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1[14] and leading them to the quarter-finals of the CAF Confederation Cup.[15]

Primeira return and Aves cup win

Mota returned to both Portugal and Aves on 24 January 2018, replacing the suspended Lito Vidigal as well as being appointed senior football and youth system coordinator.[16][17] On 18 April, he took the club to its first-ever final of the Taça de Portugal after disposing of lowly Caldas S.C. 3–1 on aggregate,[18] defeating Sporting CP 2–1 in the decisive match.[19]

On 16 January 2019, Mota left Aves by mutual consent after their elimination from the quarter-finals of the cup by S.C. Braga.[20] He returned to the league on 10 March at G.D. Chaves on a deal until 2020,[21] and reiterated his commitment to the club after they were relegated on the last day of the season with a 5–2 defeat to C.D. Tondela;[22] he managed his 400th game in Portugal's main tier on 21 April, a 2–2 draw against B-SAD.[23]

On 19 December 2019, with the team in eighth, Mota's contract was terminated and he was replaced by César Peixoto.[24] Thirteen months later, he was back at work at 16th-placed Leixões, after over a decade away.[25]

Mota returned to Paços for a third stint on 18 October 2022, after Peixoto was dismissed with the side 17th and no wins from nine matches.[26] He left by mutual consent within two months, having lost all four league games and drawn two of three in the Taça da Liga.[27]

On 6 February 2023, Mota succeeded Vasco Faísca at S.C. Farense.[28] He led the team to second place behind Moreirense FC; it was his fifth promotion to the top flight, second only to the ten by Vítor Oliveira,[29] and he renewed his contract for one more year.[30]

Managerial statistics

As of match played 18 May 2024[31][32]
Managerial record by team and tenure
TeamNatFromToRecord
G W D L Win %
Paços Ferreira (caretaker) 4 November 199724 November 19972002000.00
Paços Ferreira 8 February 200029 June 2003127553438043.31
Santa Clara 30 June 200321 October 20039261022.22
Paços Ferreira 21 October 200316 May 2008166564565033.73
Leixões 22 May 20089 February 201059181625030.51
Belenenses 2 November 201014 February 201251181518035.29
Vitória Setúbal 15 February 20127 October 201356161129028.57
Gil Vicente 2 September 201428 May 20154071320017.50
Feirense 25 March 201620 December 2016279711033.33
Aves 20 February 201722 May 201714842057.14
Sfaxien 24 June 201710 November 20179621066.67
Aves 24 January 201816 January 20194416820036.36
Chaves 10 March 201919 December 20192914411048.28
Leixões 7 January 202130 June 202252211219040.38
Paços Ferreira 18 October 202215 December 20227025000.00
Farense 6 February 2023Present5423922042.59
Total746269188289036.06

Honours

Manager

Paços Ferreira

Aves

References